USA Today Nominates Curling Athlete

USATODAY.com has named 38-year-old U.S. men’s curler Todd Birr Athlete of the Week.

The machinist at Maple River Welding in Minnesota won the U.S. title in February, affording him the opportunity to play in the World Championships for the first time. He and teammates Bill Todhunter, Greg Johnson and Kevin Birr certainly didn't let the opportunity go to waste.

Birr's team started slowly, dropping its first two games and standing at 3-3 after six games. Then came the winning streak -- five straight wins, including upsets over Finland, Scotland and the dominant curling nation of Canada. That streak clinched a bronze medal. That matched Pete Fenson's performance in the Torino Olympics last year, but it's the first World Championship medal for a U.S. men's team since 1993!